ABERDEEN, S.D. — In a game of swings and late-game shot-making, fifth-seeded Castlewood delivered when it mattered most.
Behind a dominant second half from Kamden Keszler, Castlewood erased a halftime deficit and surged late to knock off No. 4 Aberdeen Christian 53-50 in the opening round of the Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament on Thursday.
Castlewood (21-3) advances to the semifinals, while Aberdeen Christian’s season ends at 20-4.
The matchup lived up to its billing early, with both teams trading runs through the first half. Aberdeen Christian controlled much of the opening two quarters, taking a 30-23 lead into halftime behind balanced scoring and strong perimeter shooting. Jett Johnson knocked down three first-half triples, and the Knights capitalized on Castlewood turnovers to build a seven-point cushion.
But the momentum flipped coming out of the locker room.
Castlewood tightened defensively and began to find its rhythm offensively in the third quarter. Keszler, who finished with a game-high 30 points, started to take over, scoring from all three levels and igniting a comeback. A deep 3-pointer from Keszler in the closing seconds of the third tied the game at 38-38 and set the stage for a dramatic fourth quarter.
Aberdeen Christian briefly regained the lead early in the fourth on a Dylan Hofer bucket, but Castlewood responded with a decisive run. Keszler scored 10 straight points during a critical stretch, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to push the Warriors ahead 50-40 with just over three minutes remaining.
The Knights didn’t go quietly.
A late push trimmed the deficit to one after a Loyall Smith-Wade basket and a Luke Kaiser score made it 51-50 in the final seconds. But Castlewood sealed the win at the free-throw line, where Brody Bass knocked down two clutch free throws with nine seconds left.
Aberdeen Christian had one final opportunity, but a last-second 3-point attempt missed as time expired.
Keszler led all scorers with 30 points on 12-of-24 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Bass added eight points and six rebounds, while Leonard Wernke contributed eight rebounds and key defensive plays.
Aberdeen Christian was led by Kaiser with 11 points, while Brooks Jett added 10 and Johnson finished with nine. The Knights struggled from deep in the second half, finishing just 5-of-22 from 3-point range.
Castlewood shot 47% from the field and made six 3-pointers, while also forcing 17 turnovers that led to key scoring opportunities.